How to Address The World's Food Wasting Problem
Guest blog post from Rebecca Hill who works as a blogger and outreach co-ordinator with uniPoint software.
She's a graduate from York University, Ontario, and loves all thing tech, science, health, food, sports and DIY.
One of the biggest forms of waste in today’s world is the increasing amount of food that’s never eaten. As the world population continues to grow, so does the need for producing enough food to feed everyone.
But approximately 30 percent of the food that’s produced ultimately goes to waste. This results from a number of factors including issues related to the food supply chain.
Unipoint offers a quick look at the significant impact of this problem and the ways in which consumers and the food industry can address it.
How Wasted Food Affects the World
Each year, 1.3 tonnes of food is wasted. This occurs at various points along the food production process including harvest, processing, transportation, and consumption.
It’s been estimated that a 20 percent reduction in food waste could help to feed the 800 million people worldwide who are living in hunger. In addition, the environmental impacts require a comprehensive response in order to prevent future losses.
Food waste leads to increased CO2 emissions that could be prevented as well as the excessive use of limited resources.
Food Waste Around the World
Compared to the average African consumer, European and North American countries waste an additional 15 times the amount of food. But many countries are taking steps to correct the effects of this trend.
Countries like Denmark and France have been able to reduce their food wasting through legislation and strategies that encourage retailers to donate near-expired food or to sell expired food at a reduced cost.
Food Quality Management
The food industry can reduce food waste by improving and managing their supply chain quality. Contamination and other factors can be reduced to address the waste that occurs during food processing and packaging.
This can help maximize their bottom lines by minimizing the costs related to sourcing materials, energy, resources, and labour. Many businesses are saving hundreds of thousands of dollars by reducing unnecessary food waste.
There are emerging opportunities for consumers, processors, and producers to reduce food waste. This saves manufacturers money over time while addressing many of the world’s economic and social problems.
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